In a lengthy message on his Twitter account, the president asserted that the shipment of equipment and ammunition to Kyiv, the training of military personnel, the reinforcement of air defense and counter-drone capabilities, and the support of equipment already supplied will continue, despite Moscow’s view that this stance delays the end of hostilities.

Regarding financial assistance, he said that in December the European Council agreed to an additional loan of 90 billion euros for Ukraine over the next two years, in addition to the mobilization of approximately 170 billion euros during the war.

According to Macron, nothing justifies questioning these new funds, in a clear allusion to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who announced he would block the 90 billion euros in funding to Kyiv, citing the importance for his country of receiving Russian oil through a pipeline that crosses Ukraine, currently affected by the ongoing conflict.

The French president said that the war, called a special military operation by Russia and an invasion by the West, represents a military, economic, and strategic failure for Moscow.

In his address, the head of state attributed the Russians’ limited progress on the ground since “the stabilization of the front in November 2022” and enormous losses in dead and wounded.

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